Heinz sat on the couch, papers scattered across the coffee table in front of him. He'd been working for over an hour—reviewing proposals, signing off permits, correcting royal edicts.
Behind him, on the bed, Florian sat motionless. Eyes dull, fixed on nothing in particular. His body remained upright, but everything else about him seemed hollow.
Beside him, Azure had curled up again, the little blue dragon occasionally lifting his head to nuzzle Florian's side—then laying it back down with a soft sigh. Even Azure could sense the emptiness.
Every few minutes, Heinz's eyes drifted up from the papers, lingering on Florian.
'Still nothing…'
No movement. No words. Not even a flicker of emotion.
With a quiet exhale, Heinz returned to reading. "Why can't those two just die already and let their heirs take over if they're going to be this difficult," he muttered under his breath.
As usual, Alexandrius and Alaric were being a pain in the ass.
